1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to gaming systems and methods. More specifically, the present invention relates to gaming systems and methods wherein a player is able to interact with other players in a bonus game based upon strategy or skill.
2. State of the Art
Various mechanical and electronic gaming systems and their associated apparatus and methods of use are well known in the gaming industry. Slot machines have long been a significant part of the gaming industry and, now, video versions of slot machines are very popular. However, the chief drawback of traditional gaming machines, such as slot machines, is the minimal participation a player has in the outcome of the game. The player merely initiates play of the gaming machine and the gaming machine randomly selects the outcome. With this lack of participation, some players may quickly become bored with the games, even if the players have been highly successful at such games.
Gaming establishments are continually searching for new games and gaming systems to keep the interest of players because even successful games become tiresome if they have been heavily played. Gaming establishments such as casinos are concerned that if players lose interest in a game, the gaming machine will sit idle and not contribute to the revenue of the casino. By developing new games, the gaming establishments hope to stimulate existing players' interests in continued wagering, as well as to attract new players. In addition, since players tend to be more active and consistent in playing gaming machines that have new games, the potential profit of the gaming machine is enhanced.
To keep and increase players' interest in gaming, the gaming industry has added “bonus games” to many of its base or primary games. These base games include reel and electronic slot machines. A bonus game is a secondary game that is typically activated when the player achieves a specific outcome in the base game. For instance, the bonus game may be activated when the player receives a winning hand (in the case of a card game) or a specified combination of symbols (in the case of a reel-type game) as an outcome of the base game being played. Bonus games appeal to players because the probability of receiving winning combinations after entry into the bonus game is, at least, greatly enhanced and, in most instances, some sort of winning outcome is guaranteed.
Bonus games also allow the player to multiply his or her winnings in the base slot machine game or allow the player to win a bonus prize. The bonus game is typically a different type of game than the base game, which provides more excitement and variety for the player and helps to keep the player at the gaming machine for a longer period of time. However, the bonus game may also be the same type of game as the base game, except that the bonus game has an increased potential for winning in comparison to the base game. However, the outcomes in the bonus games are dictated by chance and so the bonus games suffer from the same fundamental flaws as the base game.
The bonus games developed to date fall into multiple categories. Some bonus games are included on unlinked, stand-alone gaming machines. Others are included on linked, or networked, gaming machines that communicate through a central controller to allow players to enter the bonus game. Yet other bonus games include a singular event in that the play changes to the bonus game when a specific outcome is achieved in the base game. However, in yet other bonus games, play is a more sequential event in that progressing through the bonus game is determined by continued play in the base game.
One example of a bonus game played on an unlinked, stand-alone slot machine is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,894 to Mayeroff. In this bonus game, the base game is a multi-reel, multi-pay line slot machine and the bonus game is a slot machine with at least one reel and at least one pay line. A second example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,255 to Thomas. This bonus game includes a grid of symbols, each of which is associated with a bonus game outcome. A player chooses symbols until he receives an end-bonus outcome symbol. The player then receives the values of the symbols that were chosen before the end-bonus outcome was achieved. A similar bonus feature is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,429 to Demar, in which a player accumulates bonus awards in the bonus game until a losing combination occurs.
In many cases, bonus games include a singular event in that the play changes to the bonus game when the specific outcome is achieved in the base game. The bonus game is then played to completion. Examples of these types of bonus game are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,823,874, 5,848,932, 5,882,261 and 6,089,978, all to Adams. Various embodiments of these patents include methods of playing games that employ gaming machines, as well as table games, to play base games and at least one payout indicator for a secondary or bonus game. The bonus game is independent of the base game but is enabled by selected outcomes in the base game. In one embodiment, the bonus game is enabled when the reels of the base game produce a preselected outcome. The player initiates a spin of a wheel or reel bearing a number of payout values, or initiates another bonus event such as a bowling-type or pinball-type payout indicator. When the bonus event is complete, the amount of the bonus payout is indicated by the wheel or other payout indicator.
Another example of this type of bonus game is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,976 to Schneider et al. In this design, the bonus game displays multiple images on a video monitor. The player selects from these images until he or she achieves a pair of matched bonus awards. The amount of the bonus award is paid out to a credit meter or directly to the player.
In the bonus games described above, play in the bonus game is independent of play in the base game. In addition, these bonus games require no appreciable skill because there is no way for a player to alter the course of the game or otherwise form a strategy to play the game. The player is merely a passive observer. Further, players do not interact to provide a competitive environment.
In some bonus games, play of the game is a more sequential event in that progressing through the bonus game is determined by continued play in the base game. An example of this is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,384 to Barrie. In this design, the player may win the base game on each play of the game. In addition, outcomes in the base game may create secondary symbols and change player options in the bonus game. The player may exercise a level of skill in deciding whether to allow the creation of the secondary symbols in order to win the bonus game. The bonus game may be won over a plurality of plays of the base game.
The bonus game may also be conducted through a plurality of networked games so that the bonus game might be played by a plurality of players who have been wagering at the base games. Some examples of networked bonus gaming include U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,544, U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,998 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,603, all to Seelig et al., which disclose a racing game linked to a standard slot machine. The racing elements are moved around the racetrack based on play of the base game. Other patents that disclose a plurality of networked base gaming machines include U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,273 to Olsen, U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,982 to Piechowiak et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,284 to Acres et al.
Another similar patent is U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,275 to Olsen. This bonus game is a variation of a racetrack game. Each player that qualifies for the bonus game is delivered a ticket that lists the horses in the race. The race is run and the controller determines whether any of the qualified players has won the race. If no player wins the race, subsequent rounds are run with each round comprising one less horse than the previous round. Since there are fewer horses in subsequent rounds, the players who remain in the game have a higher chance of winning the bonus game. The winner of each round is randomly selected.
In the above-mentioned bonus games, the player's odds of winning are based purely on chance because the games are configured so that the player has no opportunity to use skill or strategy to improve his or her odds. Stated another way, the player has no direct control over the outcome of these bonus games. Rather, the player's odds of winning are based on a random number generator that selects the outcome of the game. Games based on skill are not commonly used in the gaming industry because gaming establishments cannot accurately factor the player's level of skill into the net-return of the gaming machines. Examples of games that may require skill include strategy games (i.e., chess, checkers, or bridge), puzzles (i.e., mazes, crosswords, or jigsaws), dexterity games requiring hand-eye coordination (i.e., flight simulators or sports games), or knowledge games (i.e., trivia games).
In addition, there is no player interaction in these bonus games. The player does not interact with other players in the above-mentioned bonus games because these games are played against the house or against the gaming machine. Even in the bonus games that display races, the player merely observes his position relative to other players. The player in the bonus game, as in the nonlinked games, is in a passive, non-thinking environment.
While numerous bonus games have been used in the gaming industry, improved gaming systems and methods are still needed to stimulate and maintain players' interests in gaming. Preferably, these improved gaming systems and methods would appeal to the player's competitive nature, allow the player to control the outcome in the bonus game, and allow the player to interact with other players in the bonus game. Such a bonus game would increase the player's level of excitement by placing players in a competitive setting and would appeal to those players who want more control over the outcome in the bonus game. Therefore, what is needed is a new game that allows players to develop and execute a strategy for defeating other players in a competitive contest. Such a game would allow players to be rewarded for good game play and penalized for poor game play. Such a game should allow a player to control his or her game play by moving his or her marker relative to other players, bonus awards, and hazards.